About LDN

Letters to the Editor


About LDN

Lincoln Daily News.com
601 Keokuk St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

TEL: (217) 732-7443
FAX: (217) 732-9630

Lincoln Daily News publishes daily news about the Lincoln/Logan County area on the Internet at www.lincolndailynews.com. (We are not a print publication.) All subscriptions are free!

Content:

The articles published in Lincoln Daily News are the result of research, interviews and news releases submitted. Any opinions expressed are those of the writers.

Our staff:

In the office

Managing editor: Jan Youngquist

ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com

Technician, photo editor, graphic designer: 
Jeff DeMarco

Text processing: Mary Krallmann

Advertising sales and public relations:

Lucky Eichner:  ads@lincolndailynews.com

Writers
[Click here]

For employment information, contact us.

 

Our mission:

The mission of Lincoln Daily News is to tell the stories of Logan County in a contemporaneous manner, with lively writing and a predilection for simple truth fairly told. Lincoln Daily News seeks a relationship with the good people of Logan County that is honest, neighborly and never patronizing. Lincoln Daily News presents news within a full context that contributes to understanding. Lincoln Daily News is more interested in the marketplace of ideas than the competition of personalities. Without shrinking from the bold delivery of unvarnished fact, Lincoln Daily News operates from the premise that God's creatures deserve the presumption of right motive. Lincoln Daily News eschews malice and cynicism; it approaches every person with dignity and every subject with equanimity. In short, Lincoln Daily News informs, stimulates and entertains.

Corrections:

Please contact us by phone, fax, mail or e-mail with any information about mistakes, typos or erroneous information. If the error is in an item which is still in the paper, we will correct it online immediately.

 

Our services:

Lincoln Daily News provides daily news, sports, features and commentary on Lincoln, Logan County and the surrounding area. 

To promote local businesses, we offer display advertisements at very reasonable rates and links to business websites. Call (217) 732-7443 or
e-mail ads@lincolndailynews.com

To submit classified ads, click here.

"Happy ads" are a special feature to enable our readers to celebrate birthdays, graduations, anniversaries and other good news.  Call us for details.


Letters to the Editor

The Lincoln Daily News publishes letters to the editor as they are received.
 The letters are not edited in content and do not necessarily reflect 
the views of Lincoln Daily News.

Lincoln Daily News requests that writers responding to controversial issues address the issue and refrain from personal attacks. Thank you!

.

Please send your letters by e-mail to ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com or by U.S. postal mail to:

Letters to the Editor
Lincoln Daily News
601 Keokuk St.
Lincoln, IL  62656

Letters must include the writer's name, telephone number, mailing address and/or e-mail address (we will not publish address or phone number information). Lincoln Daily News reserves the right to edit letters to reduce their size or to correct obvious errors. Lincoln Daily News reserves the right to reject any letter for any reason. Lincoln Daily News will publish as many acceptable letters as space allows.


Sales tax increase

Dear editor:

I just read a letter to the editor urging a "no" vote on the sales tax issue for the city of Lincoln and feel a sense of responsibility within me to at least mention why I would hope the citizens of Lincoln would give serious consideration to giving a "yes" vote on the issue.

Few of us would disagree that the streets are in need of considerable improvements and repairs if we are going to be happy not only about how our city appears to visitors, but also how they satisfy us as we drive to and from different places within the city. Our infrastructure must be improved if we are to move forward into a more progressive and improved economic future for our community.

All of us are aware that as a voting public we can prevent tax issues from being approved in the voting booth. I totally agree that anytime a governing body raises taxes for special purposes that they should take the issue to the voters for their approval or disapproval. I sincerely believe that when people know what will be done with the increased taxes and those increased taxes are truly needed, that those people, particularly in Lincoln, Ill., will look favorably upon such increases.

In the past, as superintendent of District 27 schools, it was necessary for me to take three tax increases before the people of Lincoln for their approval. The people of Lincoln supported each of those tax increases because they knew those increases were vital to providing the best possible education for the children of Lincoln and they realized that the need for the additional monies was sincere. I have a great respect and admiration for the people in this community for the value they place in education.

 

[to top of second column in this letter]

The one-half of 1 percent sales tax issue on the ballot on April 1 is definitely a request to raise taxes. Much has been said about what is and what is not taxed by such an increase; therefore, we need not get into that again. As city treasurer, I know the increased funds made available by a sales tax increase are needed if the city is going to improve the streets and other infrastructure in our community. If the city had ample funds to do this work, I would be the first to stand up and tell the public that the increase wasn't necessary.

I sincerely believe that the city council will make every effort to get their operating budget in line for the next fiscal year. They have a difficult task ahead of them in this endeavor. Unfortunately, when budgets are reduced, the number of options for such reductions are quite limited.

I am asking the people of Lincoln to take a close look at the sales tax increase issue and decide if it is within their means to approve the issue for an improved infrastructure in Lincoln. If it is, then please consider a "yes" vote on April 1.

Les Plotner

Lincoln

(posted 3-26-03)


Vote 'no' on tax increases

To the editor:

We are asking every voter, including those from both parties, to vote "no" regarding the city's proposal to raise the sales tax and to also vote "no" regarding the Logan County tax increase proposal. Both of these tax increase proposals will be offered to local voters at the polls on Tuesday, April 1.

The city and county governments cannot raise these taxes without voters' approval. We rarely get to vote on tax increases. We voted the above city tax increase down last November. Let's do the same thing now by voting "no" again April 1.

We cannot think of a worse time for Lincoln and Logan County governments to be expecting voters to approve their tax increase proposals. Many people believe we are experiencing the worse economic conditions now since the Great Depression in 1929.

 

[to top of second column in this letter]

Because of these grave conditions and uncertain times ahead, we believe local voters will be wise to vote "no" regarding these tax increases or any other tax increases that may appear in the near future. Instead, we need to send a message to our city and county governments to tighten their belts and cut expenses first before asking us for tax increases.

We can all once again learn a lesson from history, because high taxes led to the fall of the great Roman and British empires. Another reminder: Taxes were not raised during the Great Depression.

We need to prevent a tax increase now by voting "no" to these two tax increases on Tuesday, April 1.

Les Van Bibber

Lincoln

(posted 3-24-03)

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